From: NPR
Who Gets Power — And Why It Can Corrupt Even The Best Of Us
If you’ve ever visited the palm-lined neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, you’ve probably noticed that the rich and famous aren’t the only ones drawn there.
Stargazers also flock to this exclusive enclave, seeking a chance to peer into — and fantasize about — the lives of movie stars and film directors.
Call it adulation, adoration, idolization: we humans are fascinated by glamour and power.
But this turns out to be only one side of our psychology.
We also feel envious — even resentful of the rich and powerful — and that ambivalence is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history.
This week on Hidden Brain, we’re looking at power from different perspectives: First, why we adore the rich, and yet are equally thrilled to watch their marriages crumble in the tabloids. In the second half of our show, we look at how we gain influence, and what happens to us once we have it.
“Power is part of every moment of our social lives,” researcher Dacher Keltner says. “We’ve got to be aware of it. It can lead us to do foolish things, and we should try to do the things that make it a force for good.”
Read the whole story (subscription may be required): NPR
More of our Members in the Media >
APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines.
Please login with your APS account to comment.